The film industry in Georgia has hit the big time, and according to the Georgia Department of Development, the explosive growth in both television and film is going to continue to skyrocket. Last year, production companies spent approximately $1.7 billion dollars on 248 projects, placing the state at No.5 behind New York and Los Angeles. As the industry growth increases, so will the job opportunities. The only setback stopping people from obtaining a career in film is finding out what kind of positions are available and what is needed to get their foot in the door.
On Jan. 30, the Cinema South Expo will provide answers to questions and training for residents seeking careers in the field. The expo is the first of its kind and will give attendees a chance to engage with film and television veterans. The event will be hosted by Open Rivers Film Academy at Pinewood Atlanta Studios Production Centre in Fayetteville, Georgia. Founder Tammy Williams spoke to rolling out to discuss her inspiration for starting the expo, why this event is important for the film industry and what attendees can look forward to.
What inspired you to launch the Cinema South Expo?
It actually started with our workshops to be honest with you. We do various production assistant workshops and we have been training for about a year now. We are very proud of our program because our students are getting jobs. A lot of people in the community have been asking for information on what jobs are available in the film industry. Now that the film movement is in Atlanta they want to know how they can be a part of it. A few of us were sitting in the office one day for one of our big, creative sessions and thought what if we invited people who work in the industry to give a real view to the community and the people who come out to listen. This is really how everything started. We wanted to have a big class to educate people on how to find a job in the industry and what jobs are actually out there.
What kind of workshops will be offered to attendees at the Cinema South Expo?
There are actually two phases that will be happening at the expo. The first phase will be a series of three panels featuring people of various backgrounds in the film industry. I love it because they are all taking time out of their busy schedules to share information. For example, one of the panels will have an assistant director, a cinematographer and for people who love food, we have a chef who’s catering company provides meals for a large percentage of film sets in the area. Specifically, we have James Young, who is responsible for coordinating a lot of the fight scenes in Captain America and we also have actual stuntmen joining us as well. In the second phase, we will have interactive exhibits where people will have the opportunity to interact with the sponsors. For example, Panavision is bringing camera equipment, which will allow high school and college students attending they to ask questions and experience everything firsthand. We are really excited to have this type of interaction going on, but even more so excited about Panavision bringing one of the cameras from Star Wars to the exhibit. They are in for a real treat. We also have a stuntman coming from the movie Black Panther.
There are so many people who work in the film industry in Atlanta. How did you narrow down which select few would speak on your panels?
Well, It was tough because there are so many people here, but we decided to call people that we already knew. We just called up some friends and told them Jan. 30 is the date and asked them if they could come out. We were able to connect with the people and they are very excited and as passionate as we are. Every single panelist said yes instantly.
What is one of the most important pieces of advice you would want attendees to leave with after attending the expo?
I want them to leave knowing whatever they want to do is obtainable and that they have the right to fulfill every goal and dream they have. I want them to get clarity by coming through and looking at the different career options. Maybe there will be a high school student that knows what they want to do but isn’t really sure how to get his or her start. This will give them the opportunity to speak with someone that can help direct them on the right career path. I want to make sure people get the right information and training.
For more information on the Cinema South Expo, go to www.cinemasouthexpo.com.
